1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to optical devices and, more particularly, to a fiber optic pigtail design for reducing insertion loss and insertion loss ripple.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bulk fiber (i.e., fiber with a 125 micron cladding diameter) is the most widely used fiber in fiber optic data and communications systems. Although fairly well-established as an industry standard, one well-known drawback of bulk fiber is that traditional methods of coupling these fibers to optical components with ferrules result in relatively high insertion loss and insertion loss ripple. High losses are particularly problematic when optical devices, such as dispersion compensators, are designed using several cascaded optical components, each of which is coupled to one or more optical fibers with a ferrule. For example, some dispersion compensator designs may include upwards of ten or more cascaded optical components. If the insertion loss and insertion loss ripple associated with each individual optical component are too great, then the compounded losses across the dispersion compensator may ultimately render the device unusable.
As the foregoing illustrates, there is a need in the art for a fiber optic pigtail design that reduces insertion loss and insertion loss ripple when bulk fiber is coupled to an optical component with a ferrule.